Dear RSU 71 Students, Families, Staff, School Board, and Community,
I hope that it has been a good week for you despite the extraordinary challenges of the time.
COVID-19 Update - As of today, we have no active cases and no evidence of transmission in any of our nine sites in RSU 71. The Mills Administration released an update of its color-coded Health Advisory System that classifies counties' relative risk of COVID-19 transmission at noon today, and Waldo County is still GREEN. Nevertheless, the pestilential rampage that has come into our state with a vengeance continues to have a significant detrimental impact, throwing our lives, traditions, and plans into places of fearfulness, economic hardship, sickness, and even the death of loved ones.
Fabulous Staff - Throughout the pandemic and across the district, our RSU 71 family of staff members have been nothing short of heroic: showing up every day and giving it their very best. It has indeed been an enormous strain on staff to summon the vast energy required to be positive sources of inspiration, education, and sturdiness for our students and one another, even as they struggle with worries, health issues, and family dilemmas. Students have been very cooperative and good, and families have been incredibly supportive partners to educators. I believe that all of us appreciate the gift of public education as never before and hope we find ways to express our appreciation to the good folks at the frontline. This recognition of public education is one of the silver linings that give us hope and strength. We value things we may have taken for granted: engaging academic content, opportunities for social and emotional growth, exploration of special interests through fun co-curricular activities, nutritious food, safe buses, clean, well-lit, and warm buildings, essential friendships, a sense of purpose, and effective management and leadership. Let's continue to do everything in our power to support educators of all types and students of all ages and styles. As this pernicious threat wears on and we get royally tired of its requirements, let's nevertheless continue to wear masks, maintain social distance, practice hand-hygiene, and limit our time-honored holiday traditions. This way, we may all be around to enjoy returning to customs and traditions during the holiday season of 2021.
Catch-Up Growth for Students: This fall, we launched the administration of MAP (Measures of Academic Progress), using the NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association). NWEA is a non-profit organization that has assessed over 4.5 million students in 49 foreign countries, 50 states, and 3400 districts. In RSU 71 this fall, we administered Reading, Math, and Language assessments to all students in grades two through eleven. In December, all schools are using this data to help identify students most adversely affected by the pandemic this past year when we shut down in-person instruction for four months, March through June. Teachers will use this as just one data point in identifying students in need. Other measures may include:
Report cards/grades/credits
Teacher observations, assessments, and recommendations
History of trauma and high ACE (Adverse Childhood Effects) score or BARR data (Building Assets and Reducing Risks at THMS)
Counselor recommendation.
In January, identified students will be invited (not required) to work with teachers individually or in small groups before or after school to receive additional direct instruction. We will pay teachers and qualified ed-tech IIIs who are able and willing to work beyond the contract using pandemic funding (through CARES, CRF 1and CRF 2). This additional direct instruction will sometimes be in-person and sometimes be remote, depending on families' ability to transport students to or from school. Families without cars may still have their children participate remotely, thanks to our having 1:1 devices for all our K-12 students and hotspots provided to those in need. We will have winter and spring administration of the NWEA, too, which will give us an ability to gauge the effectiveness of our interventions and the extent to which they have elicited catch-up growth in students who have fallen behind. Unlike the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA), these tests are quick, easy to administer online, adjust to each learner individually, and provide immediate and usable results, enabling teachers to design instruction accordingly. Maine has broken up with its former assessment partner, Measured Progress, which is excellent news, as far as I am concerned. There will be no MEA assessment window this spring!
O2 Prime - Our new HVAC air filtration systems are up and running in nearly all our schools, again thanks to pandemic funding. O2 Prime system uses patented technology to artificially create millions of positive and negative ions and release them into the forced air circulation of an HVAC system traveling into spaces inside the building. Lab results provided by O2 Prime prove this treatment effective against H1N1, MRSA, E. Coli, Mold, and Norovirus. It perpetually cleans surfaces and the air from germs of all kinds, including the common cold. So apart from the pandemic, it is a healthful investment.
Holiday Food Program - Our indefatigable Director of Food Service Perley Martin and his dedicated Food Service Team members will provide free 30+-pound boxes of food to all eighteen and younger students. The boxes will contain five days' worth of breakfast and lunches, with cereal, milk, fruit, and juice for breakfast, and all the fixings for a delicious and nutritious turkey dinner, including a turkey, gravy, dinner rolls, vegetables, and fruit. Please RSVP by December 16 to ensure that we have enough food for everyone (one box per family). Email Mr. Martin (pmartin@rsu71.org) or call him at 207-3320, extension 307. Families should pick-up food boxes in the parking lot of either Troy Howard Middle School on Tuesday, December 22 from 11:00 am-Noon or Captain Albert Stevens School from Noon to 1:00 pm
Half-Day Tuesday, December 22 - The last day of school before vacation is Tuesday, December 22, and it will be a half-day for students and staff as well, with students in grades 6 - 12 being dismissed at 11:30 am and K-5 students at 12:30 pm. Of course, this plan could change if we have an outbreak of COVID-19 in our school district. Our superbly dedicated school board has given me the authority to move our school system between green, yellow, and red modes in response to this deadly disease.
That's it for this week! This message will be Robo-emailed to all families and posted on our district website (rsu71.org) and my blog. I'll send out another update on Friday, December 18. In the meantime, Please Stay Safe. And for the sake of students trying to make their way during a dark time, I hope that some of the peace and magic of the season moves our hearts this holiday season, even as we experience the stress of uncertainty.
With deep respect and abundant affection,
- Mary Alice
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